Adjustable connection for steering gear members



Oct. 20, 1931. A. B. SANDERS 1,823,707

ADJUSTABLE CONNECTION FOR STEERING GEAR MEMBERS Filed Aug. 20, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Attornqy Oct. 20, 1931. A, B. SANDERS 1,828,707

I ADJUSTABLE CONNECTION FOR STEERING GEAR MEMBERS Filed Aug. 2o, 192a 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

SW fia/ A TTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 20, 1931 a l 21:

UN TED T S ALFRED B. s'AnnERs, 0F ron'rI'Ao, MIc Ienm -flAss-iGnoR ononn-rnnr lifmoi 1i AMERICAN FORGING AND SOCKET C0MPA I IY ,-.0FP0NTIAG,- MIGHIGJQLrA Como-Re I TION' OF MIGHIGAN- I I j t AnJUsT'ABLEoonnEcTIoN ronis rnniiiir GEAR Merriam-is Application filed August 20,rags. n2; I

My invention relates to steering gears and w an object of'myimprovements is'to-obviate the strains upon 'the'parts, the'transmissionof road shocks andthe wavering or wabbling of the steering wheels, dueto the displace-s ment of the parts caused by the relative verticalmovement ofthe chassis and axleafter' the settling of the springs;

In the accompanying drawmgsz- Figure 1 is an elevation showing asteering arm or'crank lever, used in the embodiment of my invention andmy preferred means for connecting the drag link with saidiarm'. The draglink being fragmentarily shown in dotted lines. Y

" F'gure 2 1 tl1ereof,"which is attached to the'drag link;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail section on thelineII, ILof Figurel,showing the arm,

theldrag link and theconnection between the arm and the link. I V

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective-view of my preferred form of washer,as comprised in said connection.

Figure 5'is an elevation, partly in section of the front portion of anautomobile illustrating my invention, with the parts in their normalposition.

settling of the spring) The end 0f the drag link having been adjusted tothe new:

at its upper end in a conventional manner, as by a splme' connection 2,to the shaft of an automobile steering mechanism.

The/opposite end portionof said arm 1, I preferably form with a straightslot-3 therein, extending" longitudinally thereof; "as

v shown, the said slot being tapered in cross section as clearly brought'out in Figure: 3. p One face of the slotted portionofthe arm 1, p

, isiformed with transverse 'notchesexte'nding upon opposite sides; ofthe slot, asdesignated I, by 4, and bestshownin Figure 2. 50V

fwith' the ball shank 7, [nut 9 and washer rel atifvelyarrangedass'hown'in Figures"1, 2, {g If s a fragmentary View showing a p p 7 V eand a he ball 6 will-"be positivelyandstrong s portion of the back ofsaid arm at the end Figure 6 is a viewlsimilar to Figure 5, showing theparts in their position after the a in broken lines in Figure 6, and therelative designatedtg isgofusual eonstruct on-and the a means forconnecting saididra'g linkin properi I 5 working manner totlie' armrismade upof ball 6',"With a 'taperedsha'nk'Tteriiiinati'ngin a reducedandthrea'dedf'po'rtion'8, saidVta-iv 9 on the shank portion-Sande washer'10 also Ion saidsha nk portionand-interposedbetween I v the nut andthenotchedsideof'the arm and" I a having'teats or projecti'o' j 311 {adaped to seat in the notche's'4 ofthearm l iiMah ifes'tlm withtheball6n"the comple V menta-ry 'socket 'ofthedrag link 5 andsecured tothe arm li'n the manner just described,

fixed-to-the'arm 1,bymeansof'the fnnti10,Jas above'des'cribed." I wi therrontportion of a rd meteor-an at its rorwsraenc ioeheroiswardend 01:the 1 I th p h v. frontaxleanddisaknucklearnn automobile and I6 is afront' 'springj secured side-pie e a, by apiVotaI jointa L When theautomobile is new 'the'par ts are approxim ately in 'the p'ositioniillustrated in axle 0, and joint a and the relative vertical movement ofthe axle 0 and the chassis a, due to the roughness of'the road or otherthe knuckle arm d, but when the springhasflf settled, as illustrated inFigure6, the drag" link 5 is carrieddown to the position shown if}vertical movement ofthe, side piece Mind the shaft 0,-movesthe outer endof the knuckle" arm d causing the steering wheels to lwalbble andplaces-considerable strains upon the arts. V I v r that this universallyobserved I I have found effect can beobviated. by changing the 'relantive'positions of the link 5,to that shown in]. full lines inFigureG. Tothis end'I'loosen The drag llnk of the'steering mechanism,- i

at, pered shank being wedged in thelslot 3'," a"nut r v 1 Figure5,'inwhich thedrag 'link 5 is approxii i mately parallelto the'spring 6between the .351 7 cause, will have but little tendency to move T f' andsteering arm 1, and move the attachment along the slot 3 and againsecure the connection where the drag link 5 is again approximatelyparallel to the part of the spring be- 6 tween the axle and frontpivotal connection of the spring with the chassis position as shown infulllines.

I have discovered that this will obviate the wabbling and strain of theparts, which 10 havebeen generally observed, but a remlady V for whichhas either not been known or has been of too complicated a constructionfor general use. a r The relative positions. of the spring and drag linkwill also be observed That is to say, the center lineof the drag-linkcontinued passes through the center of the pivotal joint 0 asillustrated in Figures Stand-V6, so that said link is approximatelyparallel to the part of the spring between said joint and the axlesWhile it is apparent that the illustrated embodiment of my inventionherein disclosed is well calculated to adequately fulfill the a 2objects and advantages above stated, it is to be understood that theinventionis suscepti ble to variation, modification and change withinthe spirit andscope of the subjoined claim. a 1 g a a V In anautomobile-the combination of an axle, a chassis, a spring that hasbecome d6: formed in use so that the drag'link is in a relative positionas to the other parts that V causes irregularity of movementlof thesteering wheels, a knuckle arm on said axle, a steering arm dependingfrom the chassis, and a v drag link attached at one endito said knucklearm and at the other end attached-adjustably tosaid steeringarmlongitudinally thereof and capable of being moved and secured at a pointof the latter at which said irregularity of movement of thesteeringwheels is ob viated.

4 In testimony whereof I signature.

ALFRED B. SANDERS.

